A Grave, Wreaths, A Song And Sake
by TheRoseThatKnowsPain
Summary: The traditions started out with a childish little gesture becoming a habit; but before they knew it, it became impossible not to do it every year. Even if others don't understand, it means something to them. Ace and Luffy's traditions and habits when they visit their brother Sabo's grave. An extension of 'D Brothers'. ASL, D brothers, no romance.
1. Tradition Of The Wreath (8, 11)

**A Grave, Wreaths, A Song And Sake**

**Part I: Tradition Of The Wreath**

* * *

"...e! ...ce! ...A... ACE, WAKE UP!"

Ace's eyes snap open and he springs up, nearly stumbling over himself to jump to his feet. All of his efforts, however, are for nothing when his forehead meets his brother's, and he hisses in pain at the pump already forming on his head while his little brother has the nerve to laugh at him. A vein pops on his forehead, and his fist meets the top of Luffy's head in one smooth swing; his otouto yelps more out of shock than pain and so Ace doesn't feel guilty when he sees the bump forming.

Ace looks around while his little brother whines, frowning when he didn't see anything that would mean to wake him up. Looking at his otouto, he raises an eyebrow. "Why'd you wake me up?"

Luffy rubs his forehead (red bump) with the heel of his hand, pouting. Ace rolls his eyes at the childish expression. "Why did you hit me, Ace?!"

Ace sighs and massages his temples. "Because you're an idiot. I'll ask again: why'd you wake me up?"

His otouto pouts at him, tears in the corner of his eyes and his cheeks red, making Ace roll his eyes again. "Because I wanted to show you something!"

"Show me something?" Ace says, not really caring and ready to fall asleep again.

"Yep!" Luffy smiles so widely that his gums are peeking out of the edges, showing two missing teeth in the front, one on the upper right side and the other on the lower left side. It is strangely adorable, in a very weird way, Ace thinks. "Wait here!"

Ace opens his mouth to say that he doesn't want to see anything because he is tired and only wants to _sleep_, but his little brother is already running off and so Ace resigns himself to fate and leans back. He contemplates falling asleep again, but remembers Luffy's excited smile and sighs instead, staying up.

Otoutos are such a pain.

And Luffy is back not three seconds later, holding something colorful in his hands and smiling happily. Ace tilts his head, slightly curious now, and decides to wait until his little brother stands before him to ask. Luffy trips two times and nearly falls flat on his face on one occasion before that happens, but Ace doesn't mind because as long as Luffy isn't hurt or in pain, he doesn't care.

"Look! I made it myself!"

Ace looks at the green mass of plants in his brother's hands. At first, he isn't sure _what _it is, but he sees petals here and there and he realizes it is a wreath, and not very well-made; most of it is probably made out of weeds anyway and the few flowers that are woven in there are either dead or have lost their petals (perhaps they've fallen out before, or maybe Luffy accidentally plucked them off).

It looks ugly and is barely keeping itself together and it looks like it is mostly made out of thistles and spiky greenery anyway, and Ace nearly grimaces at the thought of the poor person having to wear it.

Ace glances up at his otouto's expectant eyes, frowning. "A wreath?"

"Uh-huh!" Luffy's smile widens into a grin and he nods cheerfully.

Ace frowns in confusion. "Why?"

His little brother huffs and places his hands on his hips (the wreath still in one hand, and Ace worries it's going to fall apart from the movement), rolling his eyes as if Ace has just said something ridiculous and stupid. "To give it to Sabo, dummy!"

Ace blinks slightly before he twists around, looking at the wooden cross marking his brother's grave behind him. There is no body underneath the earth he's sitting, but it's symbolic and it means something, so it's on the edge of the cliff where they all used to play, overlooking the horizon of the sea.

Sabo had loved this place. It is fitting for his grave to be here.

The cross is nearly as shoddily built as Luffy's wreath, but it is stable enough to survive Grey Terminal's weather and that is good enough. Sabo's hat was fished out of the ocean and is now hanging off the top of the cross proudly, one edge missing and black with burn marks. On the wood, crookedly and badly written, are the kanji for 'Sabo', carved in by Ace's knife personally.

A wave of nostalgia hits him, but he quells it down and turns back to his living little brother. He only tilts his head quizzically, raising an eyebrow. "...And how?"

Luffy rolls his eyes, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he leans forward and over Ace, removing Sabo's beloved hat. Ace opens his mouth to yell at him when Luffy places the wreath's hole through the vertical beam, the wreath stopping at the horizontal wooden beam, placing hat on top of it, and steps back.

"There," Luffy says proudly, putting his hands on his hips and grinning. "Do you think Sabo would like that, Ace?"

Ace thinks back to nights where Sabo would sleep with Luffy, days where he would brush away dust from Luffy's shoulder after a hunt, afternoons where they would all lie on the floor in a tangled mass of arms and legs, and the answer is immediate and truthful.

"He'd love it."

Ace almost feels as if Sabo is patting him on the shoulder for a job well done when Luffy smiles his most radiant smile yet.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Originally, this was supposed to be a series on my one-shot stories **D Brothers**. However, this is more an ASL than a D Brothers thing, if I think about it. So, I decided to make it a separate story to D Brothers, but still connected to it because still has, even with all the ASL-cuteness in there, a lot of D brothers element in it.

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Please review!

(Luffy: 8. Ace: 11)


	2. Bink's Sake (9, 12)

**A Grave, Wreaths, A Song And Sake**

**Part II: Bink's Sake**

* * *

Ace tilts the stolen sake bottle (courtesy of Dadan) a bit higher, the sound of sake flowing out of the bottle bringing up happier memories of a past that seems like an eternity ago, but in reality ended only two years ago.

Luffy is humming quietly under his breath beside him, his hands moving steadily in a repetitive pattern. Ace glances at his otouto, taking a moment just to look at his little brother's content smile even if there is sadness in his eyes. He sighs, shaking his head, and looks back at the cup.

He gently places the cup on the ground, takes another one and fills that one up too. Without noticing it, he starts humming along with Luffy and he smiles slightly because it's a cheery tune.

Sabo wouldn't like to see his brothers too sad.

"What's that song?" Ace asks, and Luffy stops humming and working, looking at him.

He frowns and tilts his head. "Hm? That song?" Suddenly, his eyes widen and he grins. "Oh! Shanks' and the others used to sing it when they were in Makino's bar!"

Ace smiles slightly, looking at Luffy. "Really? How's it called?"

Luffy frowns, tilting his head in confusion. "Bill's Sage? No. Bully's Slave? No. Boring Salt? Nuh-uh. Blink Saint? No. Um... Berry, Bill, Bink...? Bink's Sake! That's it!"

"Bink's Sake?" Ace repeats, amused (Boring Salt?! Blink Saint?! _Really?_). "What's it supposed to do?"

"Make the people singing it happy!" Luffy shouts back, grinning again.

Ace tilts his head, musing over that answer. "Interesting. Do you remember how it goes?"

"No." Luffy frowns, but smiles again after a moment. "But I remember that there was a really funny beginning!"

Ace laughs. "Really? Show me"

"Yosh!" Luffy yells, pumping his fist in the air and grinning like an idiot. "It goes like this: Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo, Yo-hohoho..."

Both of them hum Bink's Sake until Luffy's wreath is finished, singing over and over again that ridiculous laugh that still makes them cheery and happy. The wreath this time is much better than the one from last year; there aren't too many weeds in there and the flowers aren't dead or have lost their petals. Most of them are squashed and the colors clash but it is an improvement of the first one, which is still hanging there, brown and dead and worn (but still hanging).

Placing the wreath over the old one, they pour the rest of the sake bottle over Sabo's grave—with hat and all—and clink their cups together, smiling.

The sake is warm in their stomachs and they feel happy. They chat at the cross—sometimes smacking each other, mostly out of habit, sometimes out of anger—and they feels nostalgic, but ignore it and continue laughing and screaming.

Somewhere in the wind, Sabo's laughter is heard.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Chapter Two! I've been listening to Bink's Sake now for two days straight and I love it! It is a cheery song and I think Sabo would have loved it immensely. Also, I think that the D Brothers would need a nice cheery little tune to hum while preparing the grave, to get their minds of the grief.

So far so good! I'm not sure if I should continue this, though. So, if you like it, **please tell me** and answer: **should I continue or not?**

Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Please review!

(Luffy: 9. Ace: 12)


	3. Meanings (10, 13)

**A Grave, Wreaths, A Song And Sake**

**Part III: Meanings**

* * *

Ace is confused when Luffy drags him through the Foosha Village and into Makino's bar. They shouldn't be here for more than one reason and, more importantly, Ace doesn't _want _to be here, but Luffy doesn't let him go and his little brother won't answer his questions.

As so often with Luffy, Ace just gives up and goes with the flow of things. Besides, he is curious and Sabo will forgive him if it keeps their little brother out of too much trouble.

Makino looks as pretty as always when she smiles at them from behind the bar, scarf around her head and apron tied around her waist like always. Luffy drags him up until the counter, where he (finally!) lets go of his wrist and hops onto a chair, whispering something in Makino's ear.

Makino smiles indulgently and lifts up one finger to tell him to wait. She shuffles out of the room and comes back just three second later, holding something wrapped in paper against her chest. She hands it to Luffy and winks, picking up her drying cloth and glass again from where she left off.

Ace frowns because now he is even more confused. He looks at Makino while his otouto gets down from the chair, looking for answers, but the woman only smiles and presses a finger to her lips. The message is clear to him: _it's not for me to say_.

So, he sighs and lets himself be dragged away again. He wonders where his brother gets all his energy from but rolls his eyes because it's_ Luffy _he's talking about. _Nothing_ has a logical explanation or makes sense when Luffy is involved.

But Ace is pleased because they are walking towards Sabo's grave and not anywhere else and so he doesn't complain. He wonders what is so important that Luffy had to go to Makino, but ignores it because it probably isn't anything important anyway.

They plop down before the cross, the two wreaths from the years before wilted, brown and dried out (the first one is nearly falling apart but is still hanging there, although barely. Ace is somewhat amazed at it's stubbornness), and the hat is dulling in shine, the color washing out, but neither of them mind because it's Sabo's grave and it is special in that way.

Ace slips his green and black rucksack from his shoulders, grabbing inside and pulling out a sake bottle. He takes out two cups, and starts to fill them up. The sound of the sake flowing out of the bottle is familiar to him and makes him smile.

Beside him, Luffy carefully unfolds the paper, the rustling is somewhat strange to hear before Sabo's grave but it isn't loud so Ace doesn't mind too much. He glances sideways, raising an eyebrow when all he sees are purple flowers. Luffy sees him and smiles vibrantly, making Ace grin back, before turning back to the purple flowers in his hands; his otouto's hands carefully start weaving the wreath, his tongue sticking out in concentration. Ace rolls his eyes with a grin.

His little brother starts humming and Ace starts singing that ridiculous laugh that makes him grin at the sheer idiocy of it; he has to stop pouring a few times because he is nearly shaking with suppressed chuckles. He thinks that once he's a pirate, he will find out all of the text and sing it one day (although only if he is drunk, he admits).

He sets the cups on the ground and stretches, looking at the sky. The sky is a radiant blue and it is slightly cloudy, and it almost looks like the day three years ago, and something in Ace's chest hurts at the thought. He avoids thinking about it.

"There."

Ace turns his head, looking at his little brother. The wreath actually looks good this time with the purple flowers and no weeds in between; the stems are carefully woven and although it is slightly sloppy and some of the petals are squashed or damaged, it looks a lot better than what his brother did before. Ace is might even say that he is impressed.

"Looks good," Ace compliments and stands up.

Luffy grins at him, handing him the wreath. Ace is careful not to squash any more petals. "Shishishishishi, thanks!"

"Is that what you got from Makino? The flowers?"

"Uh-huh!" Luffy nods enthusiastically, grinning until his gums are showing and all of his white teeth are fully exposed.

Ace places the wreath over the cross and plops the hat back on the top. He steps back and surveys his work. "Why did you need them? There are plenty of flowers here."

"Because Makino said that these flowers have a special meaning!" Luffy answers back cheerfully.

"Oh?" Ace asks with a grin, looking over his shoulder at his little brother. "What do they mean, then?"

Luffy tilts his head, frowning. "They mean, um, rema-remum-renor-remembrane-remembronk—"

"Remembrance?" Ace chuckles, lifting an eyebrow questioningly at his little brother.

"Yeah, that's the word!" Luffy yells, laughing. "Shishishishi! Ace is so smart!"

Ace just rolls his eyes, smiling. "Whatever."

He grabs the bottle from the floor and pours it over the grave. They both watch as the sake stains the dull black of the hat, trailing down the wood and soaking the flowers while Ace keeps on smiling and Luffy keeps on humming. Once the bottle is empty, Ace plops himself back down and graps both cups, handing one to Luffy.

The cups clank together. Another year gone past.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Another chapter! My utmost thanks to the 8 followers, 10 favorites and 2 reviews this story has gotten so far! I'm getting so many favs and follows around my three one piece stories at the moment that I'm really confused :P But I'd wish for more reviews! They really motivate me and I love it when people tell me what I could do better or what they'd like to see!

So, **please review!**

Also, the flowers mentioned are Verdana. Go to wikipedia and search 'hanakotoba'; it is the japanese counterpart to the Victorian language of flowers (basically, each flower has a meaning). It's interesting, check it out.

(Luffy: 10. Ace: 13)

Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!

Please review!


	4. Double The Wreaths (11, 14)

**A Grave, Wreaths, A Song And Sake**

**Part IV: Double The Wreaths**

* * *

Ace blearily opens his eyes, grimacing. He yawns widely and rubs his eyes; it takes a while before his eyes focus again and the first thing he notices is that his head is in his little brother's lap. He rolls onto his back, looking at his otouto; Luffy stops for a moment to glance at him and smile before he stars weaving again in a steady rhythm. Ace sighs and sits up, stretching his fists towards the sky and sighing contentedly when his spine cracks back into place.

"I fell asleep again?" Ace asks tiredly, looking around.

"Hm," Luffy answers, nodding slightly.

"Sorry," Ace yawns again.

Luffy just shrugs and grins at him, stopping his work for a moment. "Shishishishi! That was funny when Ace suddenly feel on top of me!"

Ace blushes in embarrassment, glaring at his otouto. "Shut up, idiot."

"Shishishishi!" Luffy keeps on laughing, but starts working again.

A vein pops on his forehead, but he only sighs and gets out the sake bottle. The cork pops loudly when he opens it, but he ignores it and starts pouring the sake into the cups carefully. He puts the cups on the ground once they're filled and looks at Sabo's grave while he waits for Luffy to finish the wreath.

He frowns when he sees that there is already a purple wreath sitting in front of the grave.

He glances at his little brother, and looks at the different colored wreath in Luffy's weaving hands. The wreath is sloppy as if he's done it in a hurry, and Ace sees his otouto moving much faster than usual; some flowers are falling out and Ace is sure that his little brother is probably ripping out some petals.

Ace's frown deepens. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Luffy glances up at him for a moment before he looks back at his wreath. "A wreath."

A vein pops on his forehead again. "I can see that, idiot! _Why _are you making another one?"

Luffy looks up from his work and grins, shuffling closer to Ace and raising the wreath above his head, to which Ace leans away from on his left arm. But Ace feels the circular flower arrangement softly land on his head anyway and he looks at his otouto's maturing face centimeters from his own, confused. His little brother tilts his head, adjusting the wreath on his head, crouching in between his legs, his right leg supporting Ace's right arm.

Luffy's smile is childish, radiant and alive; every line in his face beaming with happiness and innocence and naïveté and Ace feels an overwhelming urge to protect that.

Ace smiles softly at his otouto, takes off the straw hat and ruffles his hair.

Later, they clink their cups and pour the sake over the grave, humming the song of Bink's Sake and watching the sun set over the horizon of the ocean. Luffy oh's and ah's, his back towards Ace and sitting in between his legs.

Ace feels happy and hugs his otouto from behind. His little brother is chatting away of everything and nothing, talking to the grave as if he is talking to Sabo, and Ace either hits him or laughs depending on what he says.

It almost feels like Sabo is grinning at them from somewhere.

When they start to walk back home, there are four wreaths hanging on Sabo's grave, one wreath for each year without their brother, along with one wreath hanging on the right side of the horizontal beam.

Ace glances back and smiles before he looks back at his little brother, taking his hand. Luffy squeals and swings their arms backwards and forwards, and Ace just grins back at his otouto when he looks up to smile at him.

Life isn't perfect without Sabo, but it is close.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

**Some news**: there may be a lack of updates for a while.

I'm currently going through an exam week and I don't know how it will influence my inspiration or the pace of my writing. Factors like the amount of feedback I'll get and how many tests I have will count for a lot, though. As long as there is enough positive feedback the more inspiration will come and the more chapters will be there.

...I hope.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

Please review!

(Luffy: 11. Ace: 14)


End file.
